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Károly Takács (Hungarian name order Takács Károly) (January 21, 1910 – January 5, 1976)[1][2] was the first shooter to win two Olympic gold medals in the 25 metre rapid fire pistol event. He was born in Budapest and after a grenade accident in 1938 he had to change to shooting with his left hand, soon mastering it. Already in 1939, he was part of the Hungarian team that won the World Championships, and in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, Takács surprised the world by winning the gold medal.
Takács preparing for shooting on Poland-Hungary-Yugoslavia competition in
Bydgoszcz, Poland in 1961
Takács shooting on Poland-Hungary-Yugoslavia competition in
Bydgoszcz, Poland in 1961
The story has given him a place among the "Olympic heroes" of the International Olympic Committee. After his second victory in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, he also attended the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, but did not get a third medal. Not until 2004 did a shooter succeed in getting three Olympic gold medals in the event.
Although most associated with rapid fire pistol, Takács also won a bronze medal at the 1958 ISSF World Shooting Championships in 25 metre center-fire pistol.
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Hungary
